NLA claims responsibility for shootout at Macedonia-Kosovo border
SKOPJE, Macedonia — The National Liberation Army (NLA) is claiming responsibility for an armed incident last week near the border with Kosovo. In a letter to ALSAT-M TV on Sunday (May 2nd), the group said NLA fighters came across an ambush by Macedonian police, during which one policeman was killed and one NLA fighter was slightly injured. In the letter signed by Arben Selimi, the NLA claims it is still active in all regions of Macedonia populated by Albanians. However, police say that after uncovering a large stash of weapons hidden in several bunkers near the Kosovo border, a shootout erupted between police officers and unidentified gunmen. On Friday, Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska said the cache of weapons belonged to an extremist group with a potential to threaten both Macedonia and the entire region.
In a reaction to the letter, the ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration, part of the ruling coalition, urged the public to ignore provocations, noting that according to the Ohrid Framework Agreement, violence is not an acceptable means to achieve political goals. (Alsat, A1, Beta, Danas – 02/05/10)
Source: SETimes.com
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